Fate of a Soul
by Child of the Ancients
Summary: Instead of dying like Youko thought, Kuronue was rescued and healed. Unfortunately, Youko is gone from Makai by the time Kuronue returns, so what is a bat demon to do? It seems that he has to find his own, new fate, which doesn't turn out like he though
1. Chapter 1

Kuronue opened his eyes to stare at the ceiling. It was fuzzy, but he could tell that it was an unfamiliar ceiling. He had no clue where he was or why he was there. The last thing he could remember was going off stealing with Youko. His memory was foggy after that, although he could vaguely recall something about his necklace.

Absent-mindedly he reached up to touch it around his neck. It was there, as always, and he felt a little better upon completing the habitual action. Still, he was unsure as to what was going on.

He was obviously lying on a pile of furs in a small, wooden building. He couldn't remember entering the building, and it was easy to tell that someone had obviously laid him down. He never slept on his back because of his wings. It tended to be uncomfortable; however, whoever had laid him down had taken extreme care to not rumple his wings.

And why in the world was he naked?

Kuronue chucked and sat up carefully. His muscles felt stiff and weak, as if he had not moved in months. That, or he'd had way too much sex the night before. Maybe that was what had happened to him. He'd become overly drunk and end up in some female's bed. Usually he had memories of the night before, but it wasn't unheard of for him to not remember.

Looking around at his surroundings, he mused that if he felt so bad this morning, then the sex had either been horrible or it had been beyond amazing. His eyes flitted from a simple, low table to a few pots and pans. The room he was in was certainly small, and judging by the contents, it was obvious that it was the only room. A fire blazed in the corner of the room, the walls there made of stone, the smoke exiting through a hole in the ceiling.

When he glanced down at his feet he saw his clothing, and he grinned. It seemed that whomever he had gone home with was neat. His clothes were folded.

Throwing the fur off of him, he moved to get dressed, but stopped in the process. He had scars all over his body. Some were more noticeable than others, although the one in his chest was obvious.

'_What the hell?!?!' _

The single door in the room opened and closed, allowing a small female inside bundled up in thick clothing and covered in a small coating of snow.

Kuronue blinked, both forgetting and not caring that he was standing up fully naked in front of the female. Well, since they'd obviously had sex, it didn't matter if she saw him naked. But what caught his attention was the fact that she was covered in snow. His last memory was of the spring with budding plants and greenery.

"Where-" Kuronue tried to say, but he voice sounded rusty. He cleared it a few times and tried to speak again, while the girl stripped off her coat and shook the snow out of her hair. "Where am I, cutie?"

And she was cute. Her black hair may have only been waist length, and her eyes a non-descript gray, but she looked small and delicate enough while still having curves. She wasn't someone he would have picked for himself, but she wasn't bad. He did prefer taller women with more curves, and he liked more exotic looking females, but he had to admit that the girl was cute in a small, furry pet kind of way.

Unfortunately, he couldn't tell what kind of demon she was. She wasn't powerful, by any stretch of the imagination, so he didn't feel like he was in danger. However, he was used to being able to tell what kind of demon someone was.

She smiled softly at him. "You're at my place; where else would you be?" She put more logs on the fire, seemingly nonplussed about his nudity. He sat back down on the furs and looked at the clothing in his hands. If he looked close enough he could see where his clothes had been torn and then repaired. What had happened to him?

"I'm glad you're awake though. You've had a long recovery." She moved about the small room, bringing out two mugs and filling them with a liquid from a pot that had been sitting close to the fire.

Kuronue tried to ask another question, but he ended up coughing instead. His throat was dry, but what she had said about a long recovery bothered him. He wanted to know what had happened.

She handed one of the mugs to him after blowing on the steaming liquid a little. "This should help you feel better."

The black-haired female sat down in front of him, holding her own mug. She took a few sips of her drink and then he did the same. The liquid was hot, but it soothed his throat and gave his muscles strength.

"I know you have questions for me. Ask, and I will answer if I can." Her voice, like the rest of her, was small and soft. She sounded rather weak for a demon.

"What happened to me? How did I get here?" Kuronue was beginning to doubt his whole sex theory, which kind of disappointed him. He wanted to know how much fun the girl was in bed. And if they hadn't had sex, why didn't she seem to care that he was naked? His ego took a solid hit. Dammit, she was supposed to stare or compliment him or something. It was rude not to, at least among the demons he was used to it was rude.

"You were badly injured by bamboo. Bamboo pierced through you in many places," she replied. An image flashed in his head of his necklace coming off and him running back to get it only to be stabbed through by what felt like thousands of pieces of bamboo. He had been fatally injured, and he knew it. "I brought you here to nurse you back to heath."

"And now how did you do that?" He gave her an admiring look. Demons that could heal were rare, and considering the wounds he had had, she was a very strong healer.

"My family has a technique which is passed down from parent to child. I used that."

Kuronue could tell that she was being vague, and he wasn't sure why. Something was nagging in the back of his mind, however. The female had found him wounded and then had proceeded to go through an obviously long process to heal him, even though she didn't even know his name. No one did that without a good reason. Youko would do something like that for him, but then they were close friends. The woman probably wanted something from him.

Curious, he set down his mug and leaned forward, putting his mouth on her ear. "And now why would you do something like that for little o' me?" he asked, letting his lips brush her skin. He watched a shiver go down her spine and he felt better. She hadn't said anything about his nudity, perhaps because she had taken care of him for ages, but she wasn't unaffected by him. His ego rose back up.

"Because my clan had a debt to pay."

Kuronue frowned and stretched his wings out some. Her vague answers were becoming tiresome, and he wasn't sure how to get better answers out of her. His nudity didn't even seem to bother her, and she didn't even more away from him when he moved nearer. Unsure how to deal with a female who didn't react to him physically like every other female did, he sat back and stared at her. He wasn't sure what she saw in his eyes, but she looked down at her lap after a moment.

She sighed gray eyes rising up to meet his. "Our debt was to Youko for him sparing a youngster's life. In one of his thieving trips, he set one of our children free who was being kept as a prisoner. I know you to be his partner, so we would be allowed to pay the debt to Youko by saving you."

"Ah, that I do understand, little one." Debts were easy to understand. She didn't want anything from him but for him to be well when he left her company. He could handle that, although he was curious if he could have a little bit of fun with her before he left. He could finally tell that he had been without any kind of relief for months; even though he had obviously been unconscious, it didn't matter. The girl wasn't his first choice, nor would she have been his second or third, but she would work.

"What do you plan to do now, Kuronue?" Her expression was blank, her eyes giving nothing away as she stood up and put her mug away. "I can point you in the direction of where Youko was last seen and heard of, or you may stay here among my clan. If you wish to leave, we will give you clothing for this weather; if you stay here, you will be given your own temporary housing or you will live in the bachelor's building."

Kuronue grinned, feeling immensely better now that he knew what had happened and everything that was going on. "Awwww… I can't stay here with you?" he whined playfully, leaning back just enough so that the firelight shone off his chest and highlighted muscles. For all that he was almost as picky as Youko when it came to women… okay, so he was no where near as picky as Youko when it came to women, but he did enjoy flirting and playing. Oh, hell, he loved flirting and playing, and the girl just seemed too calm. He wanted to see her unsettled, even if it was only for a little bit.

She shook her head. "I would not force such a thing upon you as what would incur by your continued presence here."

"Now what would I incur, little one? A reputation for seducing healers?" he joked, admiring her legs. She had very nice legs, despite the fact she was a little on the short side and that there was thick cloth covering them.

Without answering, she put on her furry coat. "I will send someone over here tomorrow morning with food and clothing. Whether you stay or leave, you will need both." Then, she left without another word, leaving Kuronue there to pout.

"Honestly, that was rude," he mumbled and he shook his head, fighting not to laugh. He did find her amusing. She seemed to avoid anything she didn't want to talk about. "She didn't even bother to introduce herself."

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The next morning clothing and food did arrive as promised, as well as a bag for carrying all the food and some cold weather gear. Unfortunately, the black-haired girl from the night before did not return, although Kuronue didn't really care. He was planning on leaving. The boy that had dropped off his stuff had given him the information he needed to find Youko, so all he had to do was pack up everything and head on out.

So, Kuronue ate some food, got dressed, packed everything up, and left the little house. The valley he was in was covered in snow and dotted with other small houses made of stone and wood, however the building he had stayed in was at the very edge of the village a good hundred feet or more away from any other house. Smoke rose out of most of them, showing which ones were inhabited and which ones weren't. The village was rather small, with there only being fifteen houses with smoke coming out. Somewhere in one of the houses was the little one.

Grinning, he waved and shouted out to the village. "Goodbye, little one! I will tell Youko your debt is paid." Humming happily to himself, he began walking off. Ah, it was good to be alive.

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Back in the village, the black-haired girl watched Kuronue leave. Her parents and grandparents were behind her, sitting around a low table.

"He is leaving," she stated, sitting down at the table. "He will not return."

"Oh, I think he will," the grandfather commented darkly. His once black hair was now long and streaked with gray, but his red eyes were still bright and intelligent. "You have likely doomed this village with your thoughtless actions."

"I will not condemn him for something he had no say in," the black haired girl replied. She had never seen her grandfather so angry. He no longer had the power he used to; he had been attacked too many times and suffered too many wounds. It was likely he would die soon simply because his body was too worn own from all the healing. "If the village is doomed, then blame me, but do not blame him. His fate lies elsewhere, I'm sure."

The girl sat completely still, even as her father reached across the table and smacked her. "If he had merely stayed here, we not only would have found what we needed, but Youko would have been in our debt!" he growled out. "You know the punishment for disobeying me as well as convincing your cousin to obey you. Leave now, before I see that you are challenged."

She nodded her head, and went to the door without picking up her coat. Punishment was not pleasant, but she was far too physically weak to handle a challenge. Punishment was easier.

Her grandmother cleared her throat as the black-haired girl opened the door. The young healer turned to look at her grandmother's unseeing but still seeing eyes. "His fate lies where his soul is, as well you know."

Without responding, the girl left, quickly disappearing behind a snowdrift.


	2. Chapter 2

Kuronue rubbed his cheek gently with his hand, wondering if he had let a branch hit him while he had been running. He was glad that Youko wasn't with him. The fox demon would have loved making fun of him for his carelessness. Yep, he was definitely glad that he was alone while his body readjusted to quick movements. He wasn't ready to risk flying yet. If he couldn't run without hurting himself, then how in the world could he fly without doing himself any damage?

Still, despite his own foolishness, he was looking forward to seeing his old friend again. He missed stealing to. Thievery was always such fun and games with Youko; in fact, nothing was ever boring around Youko, and there were always plenty of women.

He topped another snow-covered hill to the den that Youko and the gang used when in the area. Flexing his wings, Kuronue listened carefully. Above the wind he could hear people. It seemed that his friends were there, keeping out of the cold weather.

Grinning, he entered the cave, winking at the guards who merely stared at him. "Haven't you ever seen anyone come back from the dead?" he joked, enjoying every second of their shock. He knew that his black eyes glittered with good humor. _'This is even better than playing tricks on Youko and succeeding,' _he thought and he shrugged off his coat and adjusted his hat.

As he walked deeper into the cave, everyone stopped to stare at him. A few stopped him to ask how he was still alive. He answered everyone cheerfully, of course. They were his comrades, his friends, and his partners in crime.

The women, including the ones who were solely Youko's swarmed around him, all but one gibbering at him and touching him as if they weren't sure if he was really there. Honestly, couldn't women make sense or think? How was he supposed to hear any of them if they all talked at once?

"Now, now, now. There is enough Kuronue to go around, I promise, although you'll have to take turns," he said loud enough to get them to shut up. "But before that, tell me where my dear friend Youko is. I'm looking forward to seeing his face."

The women looked away, and a quick glance around the cave told Kuronue that the men wouldn't meet his eyes either. "He isn't here," one of the women said quietly. "He went to Reikai."

Kuronue frowned. His friend had done what? There was no way Youko would leave Makai for any reason; they had sworn to each other that they would stand by each other and run the thieving band together. Of course, since Youko believed him to be dead, that promise didn't exactly count anymore. But still…

"Aw, fuck." The bat demon ran his fingers through his long black hair. He thought for a moment, or at least he tried to. The women kept talking, and the men were beginning to join in.

Kuronue flapped his wings hard to quiet them all. "I guess since Youko is gone, I will simply continue to rule in his place."

A man stood up. It was Gilen, the third in command. Gilen had been a loyal and resourceful addition to their team with his power over water. He was strong enough to cause the water in the air to freeze over anything, even people. "I have taken charge of the men and have sworn to protect them to my dying day since we thought you were dead. They have followed me for the last seven months, and we have gained new members who have sworn loyalty to me."

Mentally cursing, Kuronue knew what was going on. It wasn't a coup, but it was obvious that while he was welcome, he was no in charge anymore. He had much to think about, it seemed. "Well then, I will impose on your hospitality tonight and then be on my way in the morning." He wasn't going to let anything get him down. He was alive, and that was miracle enough. Besides, he had been on his own before meeting Youko, and he had to admit it wouldn't be a bad thing to be on his own again.

"I think we can allow that for an old friend," Gilen replied, smiling. His blue eyes were honest but still wary. Kuronue understood that Gilen didn't want the bat demon taking the throne from him. They were too good of friends for Kuronue to force Gilen to abdicate.

Kuronue winked at the women, and his old favorite from before his incident with the bamboo stepped forward. He could tell just by looking at her that she had missed him. She was a rare beauty with rich green hair the color of the grass in the summer and reddish eyes the color of carnivorous poppies. Tall with more than enough curves, she was a sight for sore eyes.

"Ah, how I have missed you, my dear Holii." He wrapped an arm around her waist, and he was the perfect height so that he didn't have to bend too far to kiss her.

Holii grinned at him, the twinkle in her eyes a clear invitation. "And I have missed your particular enthusiasm in bed." She grabbed the edge of his shirt to pull him down a few inches for a deep kiss.

Kuronue laughed after the kiss and glanced over at Gilen. "It seems that I will be retiring now."

Gilen chuckled and waved him off while the men went back to what they were doing before Kuronue had come back into their lives. The women sighed in regret. After Youko, Kuronue had been the best lover. Once the bat demon and Holii were gone to the back of the cave in a secluded corner, the men began talking amongst themselves, and soon they reached a general censuses. It was a good thing that Kuronue was leaving, because the men believed the bat demon to be an imposter sent to destroy them. Youko had said that Kuronue was dead, and Youko never lied to them. Someone wanted their thieving clan out of the way.

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Kuronue awoke to not being able to feel his fingers they were so numb. The problem was that the cave was warm, as was his bed partner. He sat up, working hard to wiggle them. They were stiff, but when they moved he felt the pain of pins and needles. He blew hot air on his fingers to warm them, but it didn't seem to work.

"Mmmm… what's wrong, luv?" Holii asked, sitting up, her hair in disarray. She looked beautiful, but the bat demon wasn't in the mood to appreciate it.

He wiggled his fingers some more, and damn, it hurt. "My hands are cold."

She giggled. "Let me warm them up then." She grabbed his hands with the intent to put them between her legs but gasped in shock. "They feel like ice! What have you been up to?" She rubbed his hands between hers, hoping that friction would help some. It didn't.

Kuronue shrugged. "Nothing that I can recall, unless we had sex outside in the snow and I don't remember it." He wasn't sure how to take his ice-cold hands, and despite all his efforts to warm them up, nothing helped.

Even Holii gave up. "If we'd had sex outside in the snow, I promise that we'd both remember that."

But the time the bat demon was ready to leave his toes and his arms up to his elbows were numb. The demons in the thieving group who knew anything about healing and cold couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. Sadly, even the fire demons couldn't warm up his hands.

So, Kuronue set off to find a healer.

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That evening found Kuronue in a healer's small hut wrapped up thickly in blankets by a fire. Almost his entire body was numb, but the healer couldn't figure out why.

"Such a strange cold you have inside of you, bat demon," the healer stated as he stoked the fire and added another log. He was ancient and wise, which was why Kuronue had sought him out. "It is as if the cold is coming from a source apart from your surroundings. The symptoms are like a curse, but I can find no trace of one on you."

The bat demon shrugged underneath all the covers, his teeth chattering. He had given up talking unless he really needed to. It was hard for the healer to understand him with his teeth chattering so badly.

"What has happened to you recently?"

"Be-be-sides nearly-ly dying and be-being saved by-by a girl who wou-wouldn't sleep with me?" Kuronue replied, feeling cranky since he was so cold. _'This is getting insane,' _he thought, eyes narrowing in anger. _'Whoever or whatever did this to me is going to die.'_

The healer nodded, brown eyes staring into the fire. "If she is the one who nursed you back to heath, then I recommend you seek her out. She might know what is afflicting you." The healer wasn't going to mention that Kuronue's condition was likely a side effect of the healing the girl had done. Bringing someone back to full health from a near death experience wasn't easy. In fact it was nearly impossible; it was impossible for him, and he was an expert when it came to healing.

The black-haired demon shook his head. He wasn't about ready to do that; the girl had rejected him once. Besides, she hadn't been all that informational in the first place.

"If she's truly a healer, she will help you," the healer stated. "If she is not, I fear for you, for I cannot help you at all."

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The next morning Kuronue awoke in a completely different condition than what he had gone to sleep in. He felt like he was boiling hot, and beads of sweat ran down his face.

He struggled to get himself out of the blankets and away from the fire, tipping himself over and rolling across the floor in the process. After a moment his hands were free, but his legs were still tangled. It was a few moments work to finish freeing himself.

"Ah, that feels much better, don't you think so, my lovely warm hands and feet?" He grinned, looking over his body. It seemed in perfect condition, even if it was a little sweaty. In fact, now that he was cooler, he felt back to normal again.

He stood up and walked around for a little bit, testing out his body. It felt a little achy, but other than that, he was fine. His fingers and toes could move easily without the pin and needles feeling. To help with the achy feeling he stretched out his body, including his wings, being very careful in the small hut. He would have to go flying soon to work on the strength in his wings. Recovery from his near death experience was going to be a long one.

Kuronue wasn't sure what he was going to do once he was fully recovered. Before he had met Youko, he had spent the majority of his life stealing small things, sleeping with beautiful women, and sometimes fighting their pissed off family members. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go back to that for the rest of his life, but it sounded like a goal for the next few years. He did miss a variety of female company, after all.

He definitely missed Youko, despite the fact it seemed like only a few days ago when they had been gallivanting around, stealing whatever they wished. Well, for him it had been only a few days. Still, Youko had added entertainment and friendship to his life. It had been easy to tell that he was unwelcome among his old thieving group, but perhaps he could start a new one in a few years once he settled down again.

Yes, that was what he was going to do. He would make Youko proud of him.

"I see you're feeling better," the old healer said as entered the hut with more firewood. "Despite your recovery, I recommend you go see that girl who healed you."

Kuronue waved off that idea. "Nah, I'm fine, and it's not like that girl was helpful in the information department the last time. It was probably just a fluke." After the healer set the wood down, Kuronue dropped a piece of money in his hands. "Thank you for your help though. I'll be going now; I have a date with a beautiful girl somewhere."

"Does she know you're coming or even know who you are?"

"Nope, but she'll find out soon enough."

The healer laughed as Kuronue tossed on his coat and grabbed his bag of food. "Bye, old man." Then, the bat demon was out the door and wandering around again.

The old healer shook his head. "He is going to regret not going to see that girl. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, he will."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Kuronue had to admit his new life was good. He was currently lounging around in a rather large, comfortable bed next to the most buxom girl he had ever laid eyes on. Her brilliant blue hair with red streaks and her pale blue eyes were nice too, and she had lovely skin. It was no wonder her parents had shut her away in a corner of their castle and refused to let her wander around. Unfortunately for her parents, he had the amazing ability of finding some of the more beautiful females in Makai, and he had spent the last few nights with her. Of course, he would have to be going soon. He couldn't let her parents find him there, as it would be troublesome.

He kissed the buxom girl all over her face, giving her once last dose of sweetness as he whispered goodbye. She was still asleep, but she had been getting far too attached to him. She'd wanted to keep him permanently. That, on top of possibly having to deal with her parents soon, had made up his mind. It was time to go and find another girl to bestow his wonderful affections, as he had been doing for months since his revival. Ah, it had been a good last few months with lots of beautiful women.

He gathered up his clothing that was scattered across the room, dressed, and snuck out, carefully avoiding all the traps set up for unwelcome visitors. As he was coming up to the last alarm, pain flared up in his ankle, and the suddenness of it caused him to trip. Unfortunately, this set off the alarm, and he cursed.

Kuronue raced to get out of the castle before any guards figured out what was going on. He could hear shouting and running, and he mentally shouted all sorts of bad names at his horrid luck with traps. What was really weird was that he could feel blood trickling down his ankle into his boot. How could he have possibly cut himself badly enough to bleed?

'_Now where did that lovely window go…' _he wondered as he raced down the hall, his ankle throbbing horribly. _'I could have sworn it was—ah-ha!' _He came across the gorgeous stained glass window twice his height and it's width about the same as his arm-span. It depicted the great deeds that the family had accomplished for the last few centuries.

Blowing a kiss down the hall towards the girl's room, he leapt out the window, shattering the glass and taking flight. Spears and arrows wizzed by him, but he was fast enough to dodge. He a bolt of lightening scorch the tip of one of his wings, and then he was gloriously out of sight of the castle.

Kuronue breathed a sigh of relief and kept going. It was time to visit the old healer man once again for another strange injury. Honestly, the bat demon couldn't remember ever being so accident prone, and he was adjusted just fine to his body again. Perhaps he would finally have to listen to the old man and go back to the woman that had saved his life.

Grumbling, he flew off to the old man's house, landing gently outside. The healer was sitting outside, cutting up herbs and setting them on a stone to dry. He barely glanced up with Kuronue landed. "It's you again. I see you haven't taken my advice," the healer said in greeting, tone dry.

The black-haired demon huffed. "She wasn't helpful the first time, but I think I might just take your advice. These injuries have become an annoyance."

The old demon laughed. "Good, good. It's about time," he replied. "Now, show me what it is this time."

Plopping down next to the healer, Kuronue yanked off his blood-covered boot. His ankle boasted five still-bleeding scratches on it, as if someone with claws had decided they didn't like his ankle. The strange thing was he boot was intact; there were no cuts in his boots.

"Hmmm…" The healer examined the wound and started to clean it up. "I can't heal it, just like the other injuries. All I can do is treat the symptoms, bandage it and whatnot." He shook his head. "Whatever is ailing is nothing that I've seen before."

"Yes, I know." Kuronue pouted, something that women had told him he did very prettily. "It's off to find the girl healer as soon as you're done with me."

"If you had listened to me sooner, I wouldn't be nagging you," the old man retorted. "But I suppose you think all the women were worth it."

The bat demon grinned. "Oh, most assuredly, I promise. One girl was so gifted in the chest that she was twice as large as any other girl I've seen and just as soft. Another's skin was so black it shone with rainbow colors in the light." He nodded his head decisively. "Oh yes, they were all worth it. Besides, I had to make up for all the time I was down because of my near death experience."

"You young demons are all so randy and ready for trouble. It makes me miss my younger years." The healer finished bandaging Kuronue's ankle. "There you go. You'll be all set for a while, but unless the bleeding stops soon, you'll need to change the bandage in an hour or two." He handed the younger demon a bag of bandages. "Now get going. I've got work to do."

"Alright, alright." Kuronue pulled on his boot. "Thanks for your help, as always." The healer waved off the thanks, and the bat demon took off. _'Now, off to find that girl.' _

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A few days found Kuronue back at the village he had left so many months ago. Without the snow covering it, it looked rather different. Lush green grass and trees spread throughout the area, with buildings, both large and small, dotting the area. Flowers and herbs bloomed in carefully tended gardens, and a few women gathered at the front doors of houses, chatting. The strange thing was, Kuronue couldn't sense a single powerful demon in the village. It was as if every single demon living there was weak. How in the world could a village survive without a single strong demon to protect it? Such a strange little village.

But, he had more important things to worry about. Whistling quite happily with his bag slung over one shoulder, he wandered through the village, limping just a little, looking around for the cute little healer girl. As he passed buildings and the women and few men, he felt eyes on him and heard whispers. Women stopped their conversations to watch him walk by.

Kuronue smirked. He definitely looked and felt much better than when he had left the village, and he was a fine specimen of a demon male. He would have been surprised if the women hadn't stared at him. After walking around a while, he found the small house he had stayed at while recuperating. Ignoring the people around him, he entered the building boldly without even knocking.

"Darlin', I'm home!" he announced as he stepped inside. He comment was wasted, as no one was home. He huffed, but then after leaving his bag in her home, he turned around and went to the first female he saw.

She was a small, weak little thing, just like the girl that had saved his life, but she wasn't cute. She learned more toward the sultry with her long eyelashes and richer curves, and her eyes were a rich brown with silver streaks through them. Although instead of the shiny black, her hair was a dull brown. "Can I help you, Kuronue?" she asked, smiling flirtatiously.

He smiled back. Now, here was a female in proper admiration of him. "I'm looking for the little healer girl who saved my life. Rather short, gray eyes, black hair. Have you seen her?"

The girl's smile faltered. "I haven't seen her for a little while, but I think she's around here somewhere," she replied and then fixed him with a seductive look. "Of course, you could just forget her and spend time with me."

A sudden pain shot up his leg from his ankle. He grimanced just a tiny bit. "As much as I would love to, she and I have unfinished business. If you could point me to someone who would know where she is?"

She seemed to struggle with the answer she wanted to give, but finally responded, expression a little sour. "I'll take you to her grandmother. If anyone knows, she will."

"I will have to show you my proper appreciation later, when I have more time." Kuronue bowed elegantly but playfully to her and offered her his arm.

Her seductive smile returned as she took his arm. "I will look forward to it," she replied as she led him off a short ways, stopping in front of a nearby house. It looked the same as the other houses with almost no identifying features. "This is it. Grandmother will be inside waiting." She held onto his arm for a moment longer. "And I am Siela; if you ever have any need for me, almost anyone here will be able to point you in my direction."

"I will be sure to find you later," he promised. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He shook off her arm and knocked on the door. The Siela retreated quickly and for a moment he wondered why. When a voice called for him to enter, he shrugged it off.

Walking inside and shutting the door behind him, he found an old woman sitting in a chair near a window, slowly rocking back and forth. "So, you've finally shown up, you whippersnapper. I was beginning to wonder when you would come."

Kuronue cocked his head to the side. "Have we met?" he asked as he met her eyes, finding them to be the eyes of the blind—blank and pale.

She gave a cackling laugh. "No, but I knew you would return. Now, if my granddaughter would only haul her little butt back here we could start to explain what's going on." She gestured to a chair. "But until then, sit down. I know your ankle must be hurting you."

He carefully took the seat, settling his wings comfortably off to each side. "So you know what's happening to me?" he wanted to know, eyes bright and curious.

"Yes, yes, of course, but have patience. It is my granddaughter you need to hear the explanation from. She wanted to save you from so much that she mucked everything up. It'll take weeks or months to make things right."

He frowned, confused by her words. Grandmother was just simply not making sense.

"Now don't you get all worked up. You'll know everything soon enough from the proper source," she told him firmly. "Until then, why don't you pour old Grandmother a nice cup of tea?" She pointed to a table in the corner that held a teapot and some cups.

Chuckling in amusement at how she handled him, even when blind, he did as he was told. Really, the grandmother really was interesting, and just as closed-mouthed as the girl that had healed him.

After Kuronue had poured her a cup, he handed it to her carefully. After all, she was a valuable source of information if he could get her to talk. It would be good to treat her nicely.

He sat back down to wait, trying his best to be patient, but it just wasn't in his nature.

"So, Kuronue, why don't you tell me what you have been doing these last few months that have kept you away from old grannie?" the old woman prompted, causing him to laugh.

"Lost of beautiful women have required my attention," he replied, grinning. "I'm sure you know how that works."

"Oh, I do. I was a beauty in my day, and I frolicked from man to man, enjoying them all. Ah, the delights of the youthful body." She paused. "Perhaps you can introduce my granddaughter to them. It is time she learned something about how men work." He raised an eyebrow, and the grandmother continued. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm not that stupid. I know what goes on in this village; I see more than people think. I no longer have my eyesight, but I am not blind. And besides, you're good enough to be worthy of my granddaughter."

Kuronue couldn't help it, he laughed long and hard. Oh, if only everyone had a grandmother like his little healer girl, Makai would be a much more interesting place.

The door opened and closed as he was laughing, and instantly calmed down and looked toward the door. The girl who had healed him stood there, a basket of herbs in her arms.

"Ah, Kerima, you're here. Please, set the herbs on the table with the tea and take a seat. You have much to explain to Kuronue, and you'd best do it now," the grandmother said. While her wording sounded like a suggestion, the tone was all order. The young healer didn't have a choice, and she knew it.

"Of course, Grandmother." Kerima set the basket down on the table and dragged a chair toward the other two occupants, turning it so she could sit down and face them. Kuronue couldn't help but notice that she walked with a limp, and that made him mentally frown. What were the chances that she would have a limp at the exact same time as him?

Kerima sat down and then opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She blushed bright red and then looked at her grandmother. "I do not know where to start or how to explain any of it."

The grandmother huffed. "First of all, start from the beginning, and second of all, I'm not here to help you. You made this mess all on your own." She stood up, grabbing a cane that was leaning against the wall. "I'm going outside to enjoy some fresh air. By the time I come back, you had better be finished, missy."

Kuronue had to note, for an old, blind women, she could make it outside rather quickly. When the door shut with a decisive snap, he turned to Kerima. "Actually, for starters, I'd like to know how in the world you saved my life," Kuronue stated, a small smile on his face. "You've stumped the healer I normally visit."

Kerima sighed. "I used a technique that I got from my mother. I gave up a piece of myself to keep you alive while I used herbs and power to heal you. It is something only a few people can manage and even fewer people want to do. I did not want to use the technique, but it became needful, so I did."

The bat demon rubbed his chest where the largest scar was. "And for that, I thank you." He grinned at her. "I'll thank you properly later, but for not, why don't you tell me where you got that limp. It looks painful." He knew his curiosity shone in his eyes, making them bright and enticing.

She looked off to the side and sighed. "I had a disagreement with one of my cousins, Siela. She became angry and attacked with her claws." A delicate hand reached down to gently touch the wounded ankle. "I am healing it slowly so I don't use up too much of my strength at once."

Kuronue turned thoughtful. _'Claws… five scratch lines.' _He watched the black haired girl closely, but she gave nothing away. _'That is too much coincidence for comfort._' He gestured toward her ankle. "Why don't I take a look at it?" he asked gently. "Perhaps I can kiss it and make it all better?"

Kerima shook her head. "There is nothing you could do for it that would help."

"Then why don't you explain why I carry a similar injury on the same ankle?" he demanded, trying to keep his tone even and soft. It wouldn't do to scare her off. If she was the only one who could offer an answer, then she was definitely worth staying calm for.

She sighed. "There is nothing I can do for your wound besides redress it," she replied, eyes blank and emotion hidden. "I cannot fix what I have done. All I can do is prevent things from happening." She paused, sadness finally showing in her eyes. "Forgive me, I meant to save you and me from all this, but they will not allow it."

The bat demon began mentally picking apart what she was tiptoeing around. Kerima knew what was wrong with him, and she had a similar, if not identical wound. She had also wanted to save them both from something, and she had given up a piece of herself to save him. He wasn't about to ask what piece of herself she had given up; that was far too personal to ask, and he had a feeling she wouldn't answer even if he asked. So, the question became what exactly was going on, but he had a feeling he knew. He was connected to the girl somehow because of how she'd saved him, and she felt bad about the consequences. Well, who was he to raise a fuss? He was alive. Alive and connected to a girl was better than being dead and having access to no more girls.

Kuronue grinned at her as he stood up, went to her, and pulled her up in his arms. She didn't fight him, but neither did she assist him. "I am alive, my little one, and I understand that there was a price to pay for that. I'm even willing to pay for it." He kissed her forehead, he cheeks, and her mouth. "You made it so I could enjoy life again, and I will not forget it."

Kerima shook her head. "You owe me nothing, and you will not be thanking me for it later."

He chuckled, shaking his head at her. "You enabled me to enjoy more women, and anything is worth that," he replied. "So relax, and explain things fully. I won't get angry with you. I never get angry with women." He nuzzled his cheek against the top of her head, noticing how nice her hair smelled. Later on, when she wasn't so uptight with him, he would ask her what she used to smell so good. He wanted some for all his women.

She pushed out of his arms and fled, leaving a very puzzled Kuronue behind. "Well, I'll be damned if I know what I said to cause that reaction."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

While Kuronue stood there dumbfounded, the grandmother reentered the building. "Now look what you've done," she scolded him. "You let her get away without explaining things properly. If this keeps up, you'll never have the whole story."

"I promise you, it wasn't on purpose," the bat demon replied, running his hand through his long black hair. "She just seems to keep escaping me."

The old woman huffed. "Well, next time try not to flirt with her until after the serious conversation is over. Kerima's very skittish." She shook her head at him. "Well, help me back into my chair, will you? It's rude to make an old woman stand."

Kuronue laughed, amused by the grandmother. "Of course, of course," he replied. "But in return, tell me a little about her."

"Deal," she stated, and sighed in relief as Kuronue helped her to her chair and she finally sat down. "Now, what kind of things would you like to know?"

"Hmmm…" He thought about that for a moment, draping himself gracefully in the chair across from her. "Since you're her grandmother, why don't you tell me what you would consider important for me to know?"

Grandmother nodded in approval at his response. "Kerima's a skittish girl, but very gentle and quiet. Don't mistake that for a lack of courage or determination. She'll stand by her decisions, few as they are." She eyed him. "She doesn't trust you at all, and it will be a long time before she does."

"But I'm so trustworthy!" Kuronue protested jokingly.

She rapped him on the head with the end of her cane. "Quiet, you whippersnapper. I'm not done talking yet." She shook her head and snorted. "Her mother's long gone from his world, and her father's a brute. Kerima's the weakest one in this village if you don't count the children." She gave him a very pointed look. "If you wish to live a long and happy life, you'll keep an eye on her, won't you?"

He wasn't quite sure how she meant the threat. Would she hurt him if he didn't watch over the girl, or would harm come to him through the link? He didn't know what to think, but he figured it would make more sense after a good night's sleep in a woman's bed. "I'll see what I can do."

Grandmother frowned at him, obviously not liking his tone. "You're not taking this as serious as I'd hoped. So get on with you. Go sleep with someone until you're sated and feeling more productive. Then, go talk to Kerima again."

Kuronue stood up and stretched. "You don't have to tell me twice. I have an offer to take someone up on." He winked at the old woman. "I don't want to disappoint anyone so soon after my arrival."

"Young men… all lust and no brains," she said, laughing as he left.

* * *

Kuronue wandered around the small village, marveling at the number of children. Most demons just didn't have that many children, if any. A female would give birth to one, perhaps two children in her lifetime, but with how many kids were in the village, the women were having three or four children within the space of a decade. He wondered what their secret was, or if it was simply because of the type of demon they were. He would ask Kerima when he had the chance.

The village was a pleasant place since it was not longer winter. Everything was green and beautiful, with flowers everywhere. Many of the houses even included gardens, although for the life of him he couldn't identify what they were growing. That was Youko's department, not his.

A small child ran into him, falling to the ground afterwards. Kuronue looked down at the little boy that was all brown curls and green eyes. The child couldn't have been any older than seven or eight, although it was always hard to tell with demon children. Each type of demon had it's own development cycle and aging process. Some demons only looked like children for a year or two, which always made it hard to guess the age of a demon.

"Hello there," the bat demon said to the child, smiling gently. "I was wondering if you could take me to Siela."

The young boy looked at him for a few moments and then nodded his head. "Yeah, but she's a bitch," he replied in a rather young-sounding voice.

Kuronue raised an eyebrow at the youngling's language, but he didn't comment. At the very least, the little demon was being honest, and he couldn't fault him for that. "Don't worry about me. I can handle her." He grinned, knowing just how he planned on handling he.

"Okay. Follow me."

* * *

Kerima worked furiously hard on the medicines she needed to make. The bat demon was such a jerk and a player. She wanted nothing to do with him, and she wanted him to go back to wherever he had come from. She had been such a fool to even consider saving his life the way she had, but she hadn't been able to help it. Upon seeing him so badly wounded, her heart had gone out to him, and she had taken him back to her village to heal him. The spot he had nearly died at was close to their village, and she had been gathering herbs for her medicines.

She hadn't saved him because of Youko, and her village owed no debt to the silver fox. They never had, but she hadn't wanted to tell Kuronue the real reason she had saved him. She didn't want to be just one of his many women; whatever man she took to her bed would have to be hers and hers alone.

A sudden feeling shot through her, her muscles unexpectantly tensing. She cried out, dropping the herbs she had been working on grinding into dust. Wrapping her arms around her self, she fought for control over her body as she felt her blood heat up and her face flush. For a few moments she had no control over her body and all thought left her.

When the feeling passed, she laid on the floor and waited for her breathing to return to normal, wondering why fate hated her so much. Had she done something so horrible in the past? Or perhaps everything was happening merely because she was her mother's daughter.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Kerima frowned at Kuronue when he walked into her home without knocking, a smile on his face. She could easily guess who he had slept with. She'd seen Seila earlier, and her cousin had been far too smug. Kerima knew what Seila was trying to do; it wasn't hard to figure out. Seila was as clear as glass with her intentions… she wanted to catch Kuronue permanently. She would gain so much status in the village if she could catch the bat demon with marriage or bear his child. Whether Kuronue knew this or not was hard to tell, but Kerima wasn't about to enlighten him. What he did was his own business.

"No, please, come right in," she muttered, mentally sighing. She wasn't ready to deal with him yet, not after last night, but she didn't think she had a choice.

"Thank you, I will," Kuronue chirped back, obviously in a good mood, his blue eyes bright with humor. He took a seat in front of the door, blocking her only exit. He wasn't going to let the little healer escape him again. "I take it now is as good of a time to talk to you as any?"

Kerima took a deep breath and then slowly let it out. She did need to talk to him; her grandmother would be upset if she didn't finish the explanation. But dammit, she didn't want to get any closer to the bat demon than she had to. Couldn't he just leave her alone?

"We might as well get this finished now," she agreed, if only because she doubted he would let her get away again.

Kuronue smiled gently at her. "I promise, I'll try to make this as painless as possible."

She frowned thoughtfully, trying to remember where she had left off the other day. "Then I will try to finish the explanation this time." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "When I saved you, we became connected, in a sense. Unfortunately, you will now feel my physical pain, and if I die, so will you. There wasn't any other way to save you, and for that, I apologize."

He thought for a moment as the cute woman paused to catch her breath and drink some water out of her mug. Healing was a rare gift, and the worse the wound, the harder it was to heal. Considering he had been on the edge of death, he wasn't surprised that his continued life had come at such a cost. Still, she had taken a great risk by tying herself to him. If she hadn't been able to heal him after using the technique, she would have died too. She didn't even insist on him sticking around, where she knew he would be safe. For all she knew, he could have gone out and gotten himself, and therefore herself as well, killed. If her clan hadn't owed Youko a life debt, he would have owed her.

"There's no need for you to apologize to me. I am quite happy to be alive, and I'm sure Youko would be more than happy about that too, if I could find him." He chose his words carefully, so he wouldn't upset her anymore than he had to. Her grandmother had said Kerima was skittish, and he believed the old woman.

"Still, it would be better for you if you left again. I tried not to let the others find out that I used the technique on you, but they did." Kerima gave a soft sigh, looking away from him, a strange expression in her grey eyes. If he didn't know any better, he would say she was conflicted.

"I see no reason to go anytime soon," Kuronue replied, leaning back against the door and stretching out his legs, his foot touching hers. "It's quite nice here, and you, my little healer, are rather cute." A pained expression flitted across her face as he watched her. "What is it, sweetheart? What's wrong?"

Her face immediately became blank. "It's nothing, but you really should go. You'll be safer from the elders then."

He chuckled, honestly amused. She had no idea how strong he was, otherwise she wouldn't have said such a thing. "I've walked through this village, and honestly, there's not a soul here who could kill me. I have nothing to fear here."

"That's where you're wrong." Kerima turned away from him, running her hands through her hair. The man was so frustrating, and he didn't even realize it. "I'm the weakest one here. They could hurt you through me, and they will do it if they feel they must. Plus, it's not just physical harm you should fear. Those in this village lack the kind of power you have, but in its place, we've developed another type of weapon."

Kuronue's amusement slipped away. "Has anyone here threatened you?" He kept his voice low and quiet. He didn't want to startle her, but he wasn't just going to let this subject pass. She had healed him at great cost to herself, and he wasn't going to let her be threatened by her own people simply because he was still alive.

She turned around, fire in her eyes as they met his. He was so goddamn stubborn, so sure in himself that he just couldn't see the threat her people posed. "That is not the point. The point is you are safer elsewhere. Now that you are here, they may try to force you to stay."

The bat demon stood up, eyes serious. He gently gripped her chin to keep her eyes on his. "Has anyone here threatened you?" he asked again, keeping himself calm. Scaring her was the last thing he wanted to do.

Her anger erupted. "Why won't you listen to me?!" she snarled at him, trying to shove him away from her. He kept a firm grip on her, and a small sliver of fear shot up her spine. This demon wouldn't listen to reason, he wouldn't listen to her. There was no way she could keep both of them safe if he didn't listen. "Do you not think they will find a way to force me to bind you here? I cannot keep them at bay forever!"

Kuronue stared down at her, seeing the fear in her eyes that she tried to hide under a layer of blankness. "Who are they? Who are these people that scare you so? I will kill them for you," he told her, blue eyes serious.

Her eyes widened from shock as the blood left her face, leaving her pale. For a moment, all he could see was her shocked expression. Had she never had anyone offer to protect her before? Kuronue wasn't sure, but he knew she had relatives. Normally family protected its own, but obviously not in Kerima's case.

Kerima forced herself to calm down and schooled her face to blankness. She had to get her point across, and anger just wasn't going to work. Nevermind the torment she had gone though when he left, the punishment she had endured when the elders, including her father, had realized she hadn't bound Kuronue to her more securely. He was just going to throw it all away because he felt he had to protect her.

That part was her fault. She had tried to minimalize the effects her saving his life would have on him, but her magic only allowed so much leeway. Because of how they were connected, he would instinctively want to protect her. It was as much of a survival instinct for the patients as it was a defense mechanism for the healers that employed such a technique. What was worse, was that the more time he spent with her, the stronger the instinct would become. He would become better if he would just distance himself from her, but she doubted he was thinking clear enough to do so.

Still, she could have bound him much more firmly, but she was her mother's daughter. She was not about to force someone to be her protector… or anything else for that matter. And she wasn't about to have Kuronue try to kill her father and her grandfather as well as the other elders. Despite how badly they treated her, they were still family, and she owed them at least a little bit of loyalty.

Perhaps she needed to try another way to convince Kuronue to leave. Reasoning that it would be safer for him wasn't working. Maybe if she used his instincts to protect her, she could convince him to leave. She didn't want him to stay in her village, not when she knew he would be forced to stay, especially not when she knew she would feel every time he slept with a woman. As long as he was farther away, she would feel nothing but his own pain, which was much better than feeling both his pain and his pleasure. He would never be hers, and it hurt her heart for him to be so close and yet so far.

"With you gone, I will be safer. They will have no reason to force me to bind you once you're gone, and eventually they'll forget this whole thing and leave me alone again," Kerima told him, voice calm and reasonable. She could not let her anger get away from her again. She would not let her temper have reign over her.

"I don't believe you." His blue eyes blazed in an all too serious face. Normally he was light hearted, and normally he wouldn't become so hot and bothered over such a less than beautiful female, but he felt rage over the idea that she was in danger. It even baffled him that she was trying to protect him… the weakest adult in the village was trying to get him to leave to keep him safe. She would obviously even lie to achieve her goal, but he wasn't going to back down so easily. "What would they do to you if you left?"

"They would not kill me nor harm me too badly, for fear of killing you. There will be minor punishments, minor pain… nothing more," she assured him.

Kuronue wasn't sure if that was completely true, but he would let that slide for the moment. For now he needed to get as much information as possible so he could protect the girl. "What would they do to you to force you to bind me here?"

Kerima looked at him, face still expressionless. It was starting to piss him off. Did she have no concern for herself? "Minor to medium punishments or pain, since they know you are here among so many healers, and thus much less likely to come to harm. Since they know where you are and what is around you, they have little fear that if you are hurt because of me you'll die from some random demon attack or accident. You'll be much more likely just to stay in bed and be attended by our healers." Her voice was even empty of all emotion, and he wasn't sure if that was because she had that much control or if she just didn't care about herself.

Suddenly, it hit him. All the strange wounds or bruises that had appeared on his body for no reason had been because her people had punished her for letting him leave. While he had been running around free, she had been tortured, and he abruptly felt sick to his stomach. All her suffering had been because he had left.

"Tell me who punished you," Kuronue ordered. He was not going to let them get away with hurting her again.

"No." Her reply was clear and concise, her eyes serious.

The bat demon could tell that she wasn't going to answer him. She would tell him nothing she didn't want him to know. Only in her anger had she given anything away, but she was calm now. "Then you have two other choices."

Kerima shook her head, frowning at him. Before she could protest more, he covered her lips with his hand. She tried talking, but all she could get out were unintelligible mumbles.

"Now, now, now. You haven't even heard your choices yet," he said, voice light and gentle. He had attempted to be his normal, light-hearted self, and had succeeded, making himself feel much better. "First of all, I can stay here with you." She shook her head vigorously. "But since you hate that idea so much, option two is you can leave with me." He removed his hand from her mouth. "So, which will it be?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Kerima stared at Kuronue, unsure of what to think. "Leave with you?" she repeated, dumbfounded. "You mean leave my village?" She shook her head, gray eyes baffled. "I can't just leave here. It would be foolish."

"And why would it be foolish? They wouldn't be able to hurt you, and I would keep you safe," he offered, smiling at her. She was adorable in her confusion, he had to admit. She would never be beautiful, but he had to admit that he enjoyed her different expressions when she wasn't hiding her emotions. The little healer made the most amusing expressions. Her eyes were especially expressive. "It's perfectly natural to stay away from the people who hurt you."

She took a deep breath. "My family is here. I will not just abandon them."

The bat demon suddenly remembered something her grandmother had said. "Even if your father is a brute?" he asked lightly.

All emotion immediately vanished from her face. Kerima was not about to discuss her father, not to this man, not to anyone. "My father merely does what it needed. He is an important person in this village, and he has the village's best interests at heart."

"Even if that means issuing punishments?" Kuronue asked her, working hard to keep his voice calm. She was hiding what she was feeling from him, which meant he needed to be careful. The girl had a lot to learn when it came to dealing with him. He was an expert at women. He'd been seducing women likely since long before she was born.

She blinked, looking up at him with innocent eyes. "Yes, of course. It is something he has to do." He father was one of the highest of the elders… not someone she wanted to go against. She would go against him to protect Kuronue, but she still didn't want to anger her father.

"Even if he has to punish his own daughter?" The blue-eyed demon felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Had her own father punished her when she had let him go?

"Well, yes. No one is exempt. Especially not me." Kerima frowned slightly at him, wondering where he was going with his questioning. "My father punishes me when he must." Surely he understood how villages worked. Her father couldn't play favorites, and he certainly had to punish her if she went against his wishes.

Oh god, he was going to be sick. Had her father been responsible for the morning he had woken up with half his face black and blue with bruises a month ago? Had he caused the bruises on his arms that had been shaped like large hands? How much damage had her own father done to Kerima?

A cesspool of rage welled up inside of him, turning his eyes darker. He was going to hurt someone, and it certainly wasn't going to be his little healer. Her father and the others were going to pay for harming her.

"Calm down, Kuronue," she said softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Her anger scared her, making her tremble slightly. He wouldn't hurt her, he couldn't hurt her, but she was afraid of what he might do. She needed him calmer, so she could convince him to leave. She needed him safe, away from her village. Especially far away from her father. Kuronue wasn't a part of the village, no matter what they thought. Her father had no right to try to force the bat demon to stay.

Kuronue merely arched an eyebrow at her, temper rising farther. How beaten could she be to accept such punishment from her own father? He'd had enough. It was time to see her father. "I'll be back to finish this conversation later," he told her, tone dark. He turned, opening and slamming the door behind him as he left.

Panic seized her. He was going to do something drastic and irreversible, and she was going to regret it. Images of him killing the elders flashed through her mind, and while a part of her enjoyed the vengeance for all her pain, she didn't want anyone to die. She was a healer, not a killer.

Kerima hurried after him, unable to keep up. He was so fast, but her father wasn't too far away. It was a small village. "Kuronue, wait!" she called after him, but he paid no attention to her. He was on a mission, his power rising with his temper.

She knew he wouldn't hurt her, but her immediate reaction to such rage and power was fear. Oh god, with such power, he could demolish the village right now, with everyone caught off guard. Their few defensive people wouldn't stand a chance with no warning. They needed time to prepare to handle someone so powerful; their normal spells just weren't meant to hold someone of such a high class.

How was she supposed to stop him when right now she wouldn't even be able to touch him without feeling pain? Kuronue wasn't in the mood to listen to reason. She had just let a pissed off, incredibly powerful demon enter her village with no way to stop him, and if anyone got in his way, they would likely die.

* * *

Kuronue stretched his wings, letting his power fill his skin and then flow out. He knew how menacing he could be, how dangerous he would look like this. Part of a battle was mental. If his enemy was scared shitless before the battle even started, then he had already won. Of course, it wasn't like there was a single person here who could stop him.

It wasn't hard to find the village elders. There was only one building large enough to be a meeting hall for those people deemed important enough to make decisions for the village. In the middle of the day, where else would a bunch of self important assholes be?

He knew he had tunnel vision at the moment. If no one meant him harm, and if they weren't his target, he wouldn't be able to see him. Of course, the edges of his vision were also tinted red. His rage had ebbed some since leaving Kerima's presence, but he was still far too angry to think of anything but hurting someone. What kind of bastard hurt his own children?

The meeting hall wasn't large, but the wooden doors quickly gave way to his power, blowing open and almost coming off the hinges. Wood shards flew through the air; the stone walls held up a little bit better.

Once inside, everyone turned to look at him. It was a group of a half dozen men of various ages. Most of them were likely some of the oldest in the village, and while some looked upon him in fear, the rest merely looked pissed off. They acted as if he was the one who should be cringing after breaking into their oh-so-precious meeting hall. They could all go fuck themselves.

"Which one of you is Kerima's father?" Kuronue called out, voice cold. "I want to know." One man backed as far away from the bat demon as possible, while another hid under a sturdy table at the end of the room. No one answered him. "Now!" he roared.

One man took a deep breath and then took a step forward. He was one of the younger men in the room, his hair as black as his daughter, but his eyes were a non-descript greenish color. He had frown lines on his face, "I am. If my daughter has angered you, I apologize and I will see that the matter is rectified," he said clearly, his arrogance apparent.

"By hurting her again?" the bat demon shouted. His fury was slowly diminishing, but it wasn't fast enough to allow him to think clearly. All he could think of was protecting Kerima from all who threatened her, even if that person was her father.

"I will do whatever is needed." The father tilted his head up, as if daring Kuronue to object. "She refuses to listen, and she often needs to be reminded of who's in charge. Her mother wasn't much different. We had much the same problems when she bound a demon to her through the technique. I will not go through the same process again. Kerima knows better."

Kuronue took a menacing step forward. "And you believe the right thing to do is hurt your own daughter? To beat her? How dare you…." He would have attacked and possibly killed the horrible man, but he felt arms go around his waist and immediate pain shoot through his body. The pain gave him pause.

"Please, stop. Please, don't kill him, Kuronue!" Kerima hung onto the bat demon, despite the pain. Her body was not meant to handle such destructive power, but she would not let him kill someone, not if he didn't have to and she could stop him.

It took Kuronue a few moments to realize where the pain was coming from, and he immediately felt horrible. He had been hurting her, and that knowledge made his rage instantly drain away. His owned power had caused her pain, and thus had harmed him. Gently and carefully, he stroked her hair as he lowered his power level. "Shhh… I won't kill anyone," he told her sweetly. Obviously killing her father would cause her harm, but he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to dish out some threats. He gave pointed looks to the other men in the room, making sure each one was paying attention to him. "Now, you all listen to me very carefully," he said, speaking clearly. He did not want a single person to be able to claim they hadn't understood him. They weren't going to get out of it that easily. "No one is to harm her again. I don't care why or what she's done. Hurt her again, and I'll hurt you even worse. It's as simple as that."

The bat demon scooped Kerima up into his arms, wincing as he noticed the tears on her cheeks. He had made her cry from the pain or because he had threatened her father. Either way, he would make it up to her. He was good at making women happy. A few simple things, and she would smile again and go back to trying to convince him to leave for his own safety.

"How dare you talk to me like that!" the father snarled at him, eyes narrowed in anger. "You'll change your tune soon, just wait and see."

"Sure, sure." Kuronue rolled his eyes, leaving the meeting hall, unimpressed by the threat. Honestly, the man didn't even have the power bruise him. What made the idiot think he could actually carry out the threat? Really, the people in this village had no idea what the real world was like. They lived in their own little bubble, thinking they were kings of the world.

Perhaps he would have fix that problem… or maybe not. He preferred to deal with women; they had breasts. If he was going to have to do something so annoying, he wanted some amazing eye candy. Maybe if Kerima did a strip tease for him while he taught the men how wrong they were?

Yes, he did like the idea of her stripping down for him. He never had seen her naked, which just seemed wrong. Every other female he'd ever met (of a decent age, of course) had slept with him. Except for Kerima. He'd have to change that.

"Thank you for not killing my father," the woman said quietly, not sure if she should be letting him carry her or not. It could help her cause or hurt it, but she wasn't sure which one.

"You're welcome," Kuronue replied, a flirtatious smile on his face. "Would you do a striptease for me as a thank you?"

Kerima stared straight at him, expression unreadable. "Of course I will. As soon as you no longer possess a dick."

He feigned a pained expression, trying to see if he could still summon moisture to his eyes at will. "You wound me to the quick," he said, sniffling comically; and yes, he still could bring tears to his own eyes upon command. It was so nice to know he hadn't lost any of his talent because of the near death experience. "How could you wish such awful things upon me? Lose my dick? It's a vital part of me. Half of the population of Makai would mourn its loss with me. You wouldn't want to be the source of so many tears, now would you?"

Kuronue wasn't sure if she was feeling better or not, but at least she wasn't crying. That was a good sign. And was that a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth? Oooh, he was doing something right. Damn, he hadn't lost his touch after all.

"Only half the women would mourn, which means only a quarter of the population would cry," Kerima told him, feeling her heart sink. God, she hated being reminded that he was such a playboy. The bat demon would never truly be hers. She could have him for a night, maybe two, and then he would move on.

He tsked at her, blue eyes bright with humor. It was nice to know that she could joke with him. He enjoyed women with a sense of humor. "Fine, only a quarter then. But many would still mourn the loss."

She pushed herself away from him as best she could, forcing him to put her down so he wouldn't drop her or accidentally hurt her. "Perhaps you should go find those women then, as I'm sure they would appreciate knowing they have nothing to cry over." With that parting shot, she walked off, heart hurting.

Kuronue stared at her retreating back. Damn it, what had he done wrong now?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Kerima worked hard to keep herself busy so she could not think on her situation. She kept on failing to convince Kuronue to leave, despite her best efforts. Nothing she said made any difference; it was just so frustrating. Of course, it probably didn't help that she spent more time out looking for herbs and food than she spent in the village. When winter hit, she would have to be well stocked on everything. Still, she knew it would be better if she spent more time convincing the bat demon to leave.

Yet she didn't want to spend more time with him than she had to. She hated the fact he never spent a night alone, and she knew each night he slept with Seila. Her hateful cousin gloated about it each morning after she had slept with Kuronue, bragging that she would catch the handsome demon. He was working his way through each female in the village, and it wouldn't be too much longer before he had slept with them all, except for Kerima herself.

Perhaps he would leave once he tired of the women in her village? Kerima didn't know, but judging by how Kuronue acted, it seemed likely. She could afford to wait a little longer to find out. The village elders were being quiet at the moment, although she didn't think it was because of Kuronue's threats.

The elders were planning something, and she feared what it could be. She had to convince Kuronue to leave before they went through with their plan, although she doubted they would spring whatever trap they were thinking about anytime soon. As long as the bat demon looked like he was content to stay, the elders would let things rest.

Still, they had to know that she had not bound him to her as she was supposed to have. Every so often they were raided by groups who wanted a healer, and in reaction they had created methods to bind other, more powerful demons to them. Of course, for the method to work, someone had to already be connected to the demon in a way. The healing technique she had used on Kuronue was one of the very few ways, and it was the most reliable. The other methods could backfire.

Kerima knew that by now the elders had prepared several spells to keep Kuronue here if they felt he was going to leave. Spell nets, and other such defenses worked quite well against even some of the more powerful demons. They couldn't be prepared quickly, and they had to be target specific, but they worked.

She mentally cursed. She wanted Kuronue to leave before things became worse; she especially didn't want to feel secondhand every night he slept with someone. Kami, now she knew how her mother had felt, loving the demon she had saved. Her mother had saved someone similar in nature to Kuronue, and the demon had only been interested in her mother for a night or two. Then, after showing her his gratitude for saving his life, he turned his attention to the other women in the village. Her mother had married Kerima's father because she had eventually realized her demon had no interest in her. All her mother's demon had wanted to do was protect his savior.

Seila was that demon's child, although she hadn't turned out at strong or as smart as him. Seila was still conniving and manipulative with a serious mean streak. She already had better standing in the village for being that demon's child, yet it wasn't enough. Kerima's cousin was greedy for higher standing, and it especially hurt Kerima every time Kuronue went to that bitch.

Someone knocking on her door distracted her from her work with the herbs. She knew it wasn't Kuronue; he never knocked. That left someone summoning her to the elders, which meant she was likely in trouble. Kerima knew it was long overdue. It had been over two weeks since Kuronue had threatened the elders, and they would be looking for payback, even if she wasn't directly at fault.

Kerima stood up, pushing her work off into a corner. The herbs would have to wait until later; the elders would not like being made to wait any longer than they had to. She mentally said a brief prayer as she brushed off her clothes and then opened her door.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise at the sight in front of her. The elders had not sent someone to bring her to them; her father and grandfather had come to her. It was even worse. They always held back a little when others were watching.

"Honored grandfather, honored father, please come in," Kerima said softly, keeping her head down and her eyes on the floor. She would have to be on her best behavior; they would tolerate nothing but complete and perfect submission and manners from her.

Her father shoved her with his shoulder as he entered, causing her to stumble, but she caught herself before she fell. They were extremely unhappy with her; and she was sure more punishment was to come.

"Kuronue has not been bound. You should have bound him immediately after he attacked us!" her grandfather shouted at her, and she mentally cringed. "We just now realized that you haven't done so. Do you want to explain as to why not?"

Kerima knelt down on the ground and bowed low. "He seemed content to stay here with our women, so I saw no need," she told them, keeping her voice as empty as possible. She wanted to tremble in fear and run away to hide, but that would do her no good. Her family would find her, and then her punishment would be even worse. "I felt that as long as he showed no desire to leave, the full binding wouldn't be necessary."

"Bitch." Pain exploded in the side of her face suddenly, keeping her from saying any more. Her father had kicked her, and a quick glanced revealed how cold and angry his eyes were. "Because you failed to bind him properly from the beginning, he dared to attack us!"

She bowed even lower, touching her forehead to the ground. Her hair fell around her, keeping them from seeing her face. She wasn't sure if she could stay expressionless though everything, and she didn't want to risk drawing Kuronue's attention more than she already had with such pain. "Please, forgive me."

"You will finish binding him to you, and you will do it before the end of today. If you fail in this…" her grandfather drifted off. "Well, you do love your grandmother, do you not?"

Kerima felt her blood turn to ice water. Her grandfather was threatening to harm or kill his own wife. She couldn't believe it.

Her grandmother had been the kindest person to her since her mother had died. It had been her grandmother who had finished teaching Kerima about healing, and it had been her grandmother who had protected her from the worst of her father's wrath when her mother and the last powerful demon in the village had died. The old woman was the only true family Kerima had left in the entire village.

She could not bring herself to be the cause of her grandmother's pain or death. Binding Kuronue was one of the last things she wanted to do, but she would do whatever it took to protect the person most precious to her. Her grandmother would not suffer because of her.

"I love her very much," Kerima told them softly, fighting to keep her pain off her face and her tears out of her eyes, just in case they made her look at them.

"Then you know what you need to do," her father told her, kicking her in the side as he walked to the door. They were leaving, thankfully. All she had to do was remain submissive for just a few more moments. "Remember, before the end of today."

Kerima waited until she herd both of her male relatives leave and shut the door before she allowed herself to cry. It was pathetic of her, but she didn't like either option. She didn't want to give into her father and grandfather, but she saw no other choice. She would have to bind Kuronue, and she already hated herself for it.

* * *

Kuronue was flirting with Seila when felt the stinging pain in the side of his face. Curse it! His warning hadn't been taken seriously after all, like he had thought. The bastards honestly thought they could go against, so he would have to correct them very soon. First, he needed to see to Kerima.

"Look at your face!" Seila exclaimed, eyes going wide. He could tell it was a contrived expression, and one that was practiced often. She was good, but she wasn't so good she could fool him. "Let me get your something for that. I'm sure it stings."

The bat demon briefly wondered how much Seila knew. She hadn't really been surprised by the bruise on his face, so she likely knew that he was connected to Kerima. The real question was if she knew that Kerima was going to be hurt right now, and that was why she had sought him out.

"I'll have Kerima tend to it," Kuronue replied, giving her his best smile as he watched her carefully. Just how many people in this village looked down on his little healer?

Seila shook her head, a distressed look on her face for a moment. "No, no," she insisted. "I can do just as well as her. There's no need for you to go to her now."

He patted her cheek as he turned to go. "That's sweet of you, but I feel better about having her see to it. Don't worry, I should be back soon." If Kerima's pain had been preplanned and Seila had known about it, she would do whatever it took to stop him.

He wasn't disappointed. She grabbed her arm and pulled, trying to keep him with her. "I'm sure she's busy preparing medicine, as she usually does right about now. She won't be completely prepared for you, but I am. I have the poultice all ready for you." She tone was tense and fearful, and he knew that she wasn't afraid of him.

Kuronue sighed and turned around to fix her with hard eyes. "So, you knew," he said, fighting to keep from himself from hurting her. He didn't like hurting women; it just left a bad taste in his mouth. "Let go of me if you know what is good for you." Of course, she wouldn't know that he didn't hurt women if he could help it, so he raised his yoki just enough to scare her. No one was going to keep him from saving Kerima from more pain that would surely be coming her way.

Seila jumped back, fear in her eyes. "I…I…" She had never meant to anger him, but her actions had obviously done that. He was her ticket to more power, and she had a feeling he was slipping through her fingers, since she still wasn't pregnant.

"I won't be visiting you again," the bat demon told her, a small smile on his face in appeasement. He didn't care to scare women either, but he had more important things to deal with. "I'm sure you understand."

She spat at his feet. "Bastard." He had just taken everything she had wanted away from her. He would never sleep with her again, which meant her chances of a higher standing in the village had disappeared.

Kuronue bowed to her, wincing as he felt slight pain shoot through his side. Honestly, her male family members really did have a death wish. He had made himself perfectly clear that day he had torn apart their meeting hall. Last time he had checked, they were still working on fixing it.

He needed to get to Kerima fast, before they hurt her again. He felt sick to his stomach at the idea of her harmed all over again just because of him. Kami, how much had she gone through before she had saved him? He didn't even want to contemplate it.

Horrible images running through his mind, he ran through the village, racing to Kerima's small home. If he was lucky, she wouldn't be hurt again before he arrived there. She was far too small and weak to take too much abuse.

When Kuronue arrived, he saw no one outside her home, although her door wasn't locked when he tried it. Now that he thought about it, Kerima never did lock her door. Perhaps she needed to.

The bat demon immediately saw her on the ground, and he witnessed her wince as he opened the door. Kami, she looked so pitiful on the ground like she was, legs curled beneath with her forehead touching the ground and arms limply out in front of her. Her lovely black hair was spread around her, keeping him from seeing her face, and her shoulders kept shaking.

"Kerima, darling, what are you doing on the floor?" he asked her, relieved that her tormentors were gone and that she wasn't suffering anymore at their hands. "Come here and let me help you up." He knelt down beside her and touched her head. It was then that he realized that she was crying.

His little healer was actually crying!

Kuronue immediately pulled her into his arms, gently moving her so he could see her face. She fought him the entire way, but her attempts were pathetic. She just didn't seem to have the strength.

He made soothing noises, trying to calm her down as he checked her injuries. They were in the same places as his, and they were healing already. It was likely they no longer pained her to the point of tears, so something else was causing the flood. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I'll make it all better once you tell me what's wrong. C'mon, tell me," he urged her.

He hated seeing her in pain, and he wanted to make her feel better. It was rare for him to feel quite so strongly about something, but he also rarely saw women cry. He never liked seeing such tears, especially when he knew there was a good reason for them.

Kerima sniffled softly. "I have to bind you. I don't want to, but I have to now. I'm so sorry." She opened her eyes to look at him, her cheeks streaked with tears and her eyes red from all the crying. "Please, forgive me."

"Shh…" Kuronue gently stroked her hair. Something was very wrong here. Kerima had told him before that she didn't want to bind him, and that they would eventually find a way to force her to do so. It seems that they had found a way. "What did they do? Why do you have to bind me now?"

He wasn't entirely sure what the binding was, but he didn't like the idea. Still, he felt he could deal with it if he had to. What he could not and would not deal with was having Kerima so upset. If she didn't want to bind him, then he would make sure that she wouldn't have to.

She kept on crying despite all the comfort he was giving her. "I need to bind you before the end of today, otherwise…" She drifted off, not wanting to finish the sentence. Instead, she took a deep, steadying breath. She needed to gain control of herself. Histrionics would not help her now.

If she told Kuronue the whole truth, he would likely go on a rampage, and that would put her grandmother in even more danger. They would likely kill her just for that, and Kerima would not take the risk. She needed to figure out the best course of action, but she didn't want to bind Kuronue without telling him anything.

Kuronue brushed away her tears. "Tell me what's wrong, little one," he told her tenderly, keeping a firm hold on her with her other arm. He would not have her running off while she was still so upset. "What will happen if you don't bind me? What did they threaten you with, hm?"

"If I tell you, they'll likely carry out the threat, and I can't risk that. Please, try to understand," Kerima begged him, grabbing her vest with her hands. "Please." More tears trailed down her cheeks.

"It can't be as bad as all that," he told her, rubbing his hand up and down her back, trying to calm her. "And if they try to carry out the threat, I'll stop them. I won't let them hurt you, I promise." He had never seen her in such a horrible state before. She had seemed so distant the last few weeks, but he had chalked that up to him refusing to leave.

Kuronue hadn't thought things had become so bad while he had flitted from woman to woman in the village. He should have been paying more attention to her, and he knew it. Since she wouldn't sleep with him, he had turned his interest elsewhere, and now he was paying for it. She was in pain, and it was his fault.

She shook her head at the handsome bat demon. "It's not me they threatened. If it was, I could just brush it off. They knew that, and so they didn't even bother with a threat that simple." She turned her face away from him, fixing her eyes on the wall. Kami, how she hated being backed into a corner and being forced to do something she didn't want to do. There had to be another option, there just had to be. She just needed to think.

"I have little choice, but I won't force you into it," Kerima told him as she came to a grim conclusion. There was a way for him to go free and for her grandmother to be safe at the same time, but she didn't like the idea at all. "I will explain it to you, and if you hate the idea too much, you will have to leave. I can keep the threat from happening, but not if you're here."

He stared at her, not liking how she wouldn't look at him as she spoke. Still, she was back to her logical self, and her tears had seemed to stop. She had obviously come up with some kind of idea, so he would listen to her and see what he thought about it all. "Alright, explain away."

Sighing, she released his vest. "First, I need you to promise that if you don't like the idea of binding that you will leave and never return." She looked at him and saw his reluctance. "Promise me," she repeated, tone firm and eyes showing no softness. She was serious about the promise.

Kuronue didn't like that idea. He would leave for the threat to abate if he had to, but he didn't want to never come back. He had grown rather fond of his little healer, despite how everything was going. "I promise to listen to you and leave if I do not like the whole binding thing," he replied. He wasn't about t promise never to come back, but he hoped she didn't realize he hadn't included that part of the promise.

Kerima took a deep, slow breath and then let it out, composing herself. "I accept your promise. Now for the explanation."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Kuronue gently kissed Kerima's forehead after she was silent for a few moments. "It can't be that bad," he said, a flirtatious smile on his face. "We're already connected, which has been no hardship."

Kerima frowned at him. "It is not as simple as our existing connection. Right now we share sensations, but if I bind you, that will increase. Now only the more extreme sensations are shared. Once we're bound, the less intense ones will be shared. Because of our connection you are already attached to me and you have a desire to protect me as long as I am nearby. If I bind you, you won't be able to go too far from me."

The bat demon laughed, finding the idea amusing. Did she really think she could do something like that to him? He was far too strong for something like that to affect him. "What, we'll be tied together with a magic cord, so I can only go so far?"

She shook her head, grey eyes serious. "It's not like that. You won't want to go far away. Where I go, you will want to follow, and the desire will be too strong for you to resist." She sighed, feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted. She really did not want to bind Kuronue to her. "You'll want to protect me and everything I care about, which is why the elders want me to bind you. They want to make sure you'll stay here and protect the village, since this is the place I live."

Kuronue felt her try to move out of his hold, but he kept her firmly in his lap. He was sure there was more to the whole binding thing. "I can see why your village needs protection. Everyone here is rather weak, but there's something else to this binding, isn't there?"

"Yes," Kerima admitted. "But I can't give you anything definite. Each binding is a little different, or at least my grandmother says so. It could be anything from sharing thoughts to being able to tap into each others powers. I can't say for sure what will happen, but if I do bind you, this extra feature could take a day or two to develop."

He looked at her for a few moments, thinking everything through. All in all, the binding did not seem too bad. He already didn't have much of a desire to go to far away from her, and he did already want to protect her. His little healer was so helpless when it came to keeping herself safe. Of course, he did doubt that he would ever want to protect the village, and he was sure she was over exaggerating on some of the side effects of the binding. There was no way someone as weak as her could actually be able to change his emotions or desires so much.

"Is that really all there is to it?" he asked her. For all her protests and fighting against doing the whole process, it seemed like a rather small thing.

Kerima nodded her head. She wasn't sure what to think. He actually seemed to be sincerely considering letting her bind him. She couldn't decide if she was happy or sad. "That's all that I know. There could be something else to it, as it has been a little while since anyone has actually done a binding, but that should be everything."

Kuronue thought everything through, considering his options. He could leave the village now, and his little healer would be alone with no one to protect her. She obviously had some kind of plan to stop the eminent threat, but he had a bad feeling about it. The look in her gray eyes was bleak, and that worried him. What could her plan be if he left?

No, he would not leave her. He would stay and protect her, and if that meant being bound tighter to her, so be it. The binding did not sound too bad, even if she wasn't over exaggerating, and she probably was.

Looking at her, Kuronue nodded his head. "Very well, bind me."

A storm of emotions swept through Kerima. She was happy that he had chosen to stay with her, but she was scared for him if he stayed. She was worried what might happen to him as a result of the binding, but she was thrilled that he was alright with the idea of being bound to her.

Kerima took a deep breath, slowly letting it out as she attempted to calm her heart. "Are you sure?" She had to give him one more chance to change his mind. "Once I do this, there is no going back. You'll be stuck with me."

Kuronue smiled gently, his eyes serious. "I'm sure."

She studied him for a moment, and then nodded her head. "Alright." She moved out of his lap and sat in front of him, legs folded beneath her. She placed her right hand on his chest and then took his right hand and placed it on her own chest.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she reached out with her power to the magical cord that bound her to Kuronue. It was thin but unbreakable, and with her power she could see it shining brightly. She added to the strength of the cord, thickening it as well as anchoring it deeper inside both of her and the bat demon.

Kuronue felt her power dance between them, and he realized that he had been wrong to call her weak. Kerima was not weak at all; her power was merely subtle and hard to sense. She had no offensive abilities, but he could finally feel her immense power that gave her the ability to heal.

He sensed that same power enter him, and it seemed to pull a part of him closer to Kerima. Instead of her being just a part of his world, the magic moved her so that she was the center of his world. Kerima became one of the most important things to him, and while he knew that he should mind the change, he couldn't bring himself to care. He had asked for her to bind him, and a part of him liked her being so important to him.

Kerima gasped as she finished the binding, wanting to run away in a blind panic. She felt her own magic twist inside her body, connecting her to Kuronue even stronger than she had thought. No one had told her that the binding would affect her too. Her grandmother had never warned her that if she completed the binding that her own desires would change. She no longer wanted Kuronue to leave, even for his own safety. She wanted to be with him always.

She knew that she should be running as far away from him as she could get, but the desire to stay with him was too strong. She wanted to panic, knowing that when Kuronue went to another woman it would destroy her. With the magic having finished, she knew that Kuronue could ask her for anything, and she would be hard-pressed to deny him. However, she was so thrilled he was sitting in front of her she couldn't bring herself to mind at the moment. The change really worried her, or at least she knew it should worry her.

Kuronue felt the magic end, and he realized that the binding was complete. He certainly felt the changes, but they were not bad. He certainly felt more strongly about protecting her, but she had been wrong in one thing—he had no desire to protect the village. In fact, he wanted to raze the thing to the ground. So many in the village were a threat to his little healer, and he didn't want her to ever hurt again.

The bat demon watched the black-haired female carefully, and he realized that she was healed. The damage caused by the elders had vanished, and Kerima looked happy. He wanted her to always look at him with such an expression on her face.

Without thinking, Kuronue leaned forward and kissed her. He was minutely surprised when she responded without hesitation, so he pulled her into his lap. He wanted her to be happy, but he also realized that he wanted her to be his. The possessive feeling roared inside of him, demanding.

He dimly remembered something Grandmother had said, and a part of him realized that he needed to be slow and gentle with his little healer. He didn't want to scare her off; he wanted her to stay with him always. So he forced the possessive feeling down, and advanced slowly with Kerima.

It was hard though not to touch to everywhere, so he gave in. His hand on the center of her chest wandered to her breast, and his other hand slipped under her clothing to caress the skin on her back.

With every step Kuronue took, Kerima responded in kind, and soon they were on the pile of furs in her home, making love.


	9. Chapter 9

**CotA: As a quick note before I begin the next chapter, I am looking for someone who is willing to help me with my writing by serving as an idea sounding-board. I do best if I can bounce ideas off someone and talk through the plot with them. If anyone is interested in helping me, either send me a message through fanfiction, or email me at childoftheancients (at) yahoo (dot) com.**

* * *

Chapter Nine

The next morning, Kerima awoke next to Kuronue, both of them without a stitch of clothing on. She nearly panicked, realizing just what she had done. She had slept with the bat demon, placing her heart in his hands. The odds of him carelessly tossing her heart aside and going to another, more beautiful girl were high.

Kerima wasn't stupid. She knew what she looked like, and she was pretty at best. Her grandmother always said that she was beautiful, but her grandmother was blind. The rumors about Kuronue said that he went after the most beautiful, most exotic females he could find. Him sleeping with her was likely an anomaly that he would soon come to regret.

She needed to get out of bed, get dressed and leave. She needed to find some way to take her heart back and protect it from hurt again, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. In binding him so closely to her, she had bound herself to him as well. Kuronue was now the center of her world, for better or for worse.

Sitting up and licking her lips, Kerima watched Kuronue nervously as he started to wake up. She watched his muscles ripple as he stretched and moved against her, and her heartbeat sped up in response. He opened his eyes and turned his gaze to her, causing her breath to catch. She had always found him handsome before, but now with the binding in place, she found him captivating and impossible to resist.

Kuronue smiled at Kerima, enjoying her wide-eyed expression. It was obvious that the binding effects had surprised her a little, but he liked them. He especially enjoyed how they could feel the other's pleasure. It had made the sex absolutely amazing, all other experiences of his had paled in comparison. Never before had he been able to feel his partner's pleasure, and it had been such a unique experience.

There had been something else as well, likely because of the binding. During the sex he had felt his power, his very soul blend with hers, and it had been the most intimate, sensual thing he had ever felt before. He could not see himself going to any other female after last night, not after what he had experienced with Kerima.

He gently drew a finger down her forearm, admiring her skin and enjoying the distant sensation of pleasure he was receiving from her. He wished he had known about the sensation sharing sooner, although she had told him that it would become more intense after the binding.

Kuronue paused, realizing that they had shared sensations before, at least pain. And it stood to reason that they had shared pleasure as well. While he had never felt any pleasure from her, she had probably felt his.

The guilt slammed into him so hard he almost choked on it. He had slept with all those women, including women in her village, and she knew it. She had felt what he had done, and while he knew he hadn't technically done anything wrong, he still felt horrible.

Without knowing it, he had forced pleasure on her that she had not asked for. In addition to that, with the bond he now shared with her, he felt like he had betrayed her. Intellectually he knew that he hadn't betrayed Kerima; she had only been his healer who had saved his life… until last night. He had not been tied to her in a way to keep him from sleeping with other females. But still, with the bond connecting them so tightly, he felt awful for doing such a thing to her.

For a moment, he struggled with what to say or do. Kerima frowned at him in confusion.

"What is it?" she asked, worry in her gray eyes. She briefly bit her bottom lip as she glanced away. "You… don't regret it, do you?"

"Regret what?" For a moment he was confused about what she was talking about. Did she know what he had been thinking about? He gently took her chin in his hand and turned her head so she was looking at him.

Kerima scooted away from him, but he caught the sight of suspiciously wet eyes before she did. "Last night," she answered, refusing to look at him.

Kuronue sighed in relief and moved closer to her so he could wrap his arms tightly about her. She wiggled, attempted to escape him, but he held on tightly. He could not let her keep on thinking that he regretted making love to her.

"I don't regret that," he whispered in her ear, feeling her finally relax in his hold. "I could never regret that." He paused for a moment, just to enjoy the feel of her naked skin against his. She had such delightfully smooth skin.

"Then what is wrong?" she asked, snuggling against him. She just couldn't help herself, especially since she now knew that he didn't regret sleeping with her. She enjoyed having him close to her, and her bond to him hummed in pleasure at the closeness.

"I realized what I did to you beforehand by being with those other women," Kuronue told her, voice soft and sad. The guilt was starting to choke him again. Kami, he even felt a little sick to his stomach. "I didn't know what it was doing to you. I'm sorry, so sorry."

Kerima stared at him in shock for a moment, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. He was apologizing for that? She had never imagined him doing such a thing, not Kuronue the playboy. She gently touched his cheek with her fingertips, marveling at the apology and what it stood for. Perhaps he wouldn't crush her heart beneath his feet in a few days or weeks time.

"The past is past. Only what you do now matters." She smiled brilliantly at him and then kissed him gently on the lips. Maybe, just maybe, Kuronue was no longer a playboy. She would trust him and hope for the best, and if he did hurt her, she would at the very least enjoy the time she had with him.

Kuronue licked his lips and then smiled back at her, enjoying the taste of her on his lips. Being bound to her really wasn't that bad. It was turning out to be an emotional roller coaster so far, but he had to admit the sex at the very least was worth it. Plus, his little healer was cute and much more forgiving than many women would be. He couldn't imagine anyone else forgiving him for what he had done to her. She truly was something.

"My dear, sweet little healer, I plan to spend the rest of our lives making it up to you," he told her, nuzzling her neck. He faintly felt her pleasure from that, so he began to gently touch her. He ran a hand down one of her arms, along her side, to draw circles on her hip.

Kerima arched against him, her head thrown back as she moaned. It felt good, so good to have him pay attention to her. It was hard to resist, but she knew that she had work that she needed to finish. Much had to be done before winter set in.

With much reluctance she gently pushed him away. "This will have to wait until night. While it is still day, I have herbs I need to gather for medicine. We will need them later this year, for when people take sick or become injured."

Kuronue sighed, giving her his most pitiful look. "Can't we just stay here, little one? Maybe make love a few more times?" he asked, still gently touching her.

"No." Kerima stood up and began pulling on her clothes. When all he did was lay there, she took pity on him. "Later, perhaps. But for now I have work to do." She quickly finger-combed her hair.

The bat demon sighed dramatically, but he rose as well, pulling on his own clothes. "Very well, if you must work, I will go with you." He couldn't stand the thought of her going out by herself and leaving him in the small hut by himself. "After all, you might get into trouble and need me."

She laughed, eyes sparkling with good humor. "I'm pretty sure you're the biggest, baddest demon for miles. What trouble could I possibly get into?"

Suddenly Kuronue became very serious as he stroked her cheek, concern in his eyes. "Your very family poses a threat, and I will not let them hurt you again. Just because you did what they wanted you to, doesn't mean they will leave you alone now. More than likely, they'll become even more demanding."

Kerima turned her head, looking away from him. "They're my family, and this is the only life I've ever known."

"Outside this village, healers are treated differently. They are so rare, so important, that to harm one brings punishment by death from the three kings," he said, watching her face carefully. Surprise flitted through her eyes before her expression closed down. "If you left this village, you would actually be safer."

For a moment the idea tempted her. She allowed herself to daydream for a moment, to imagine what it would be like to run away with Kuronue and leave her entire family and host of problems behind. She could almost taste the freedom on her tongue before reality came rushing back in.

She couldn't leave her grandmother here by herself, not to the mercy of the rest of her family. She couldn't stomach the thought of someone needing a healer and her not being here. While her village had other healers, none were as knowledgeable or powerful as her. It wasn't her pride talking; it was just a simple truth.

"It is tempting," Kerima admitted to him. "But I cannot leave. There's my grandmother, and I could not bear the thought of harm coming to her simply because I left."

"I would not mind taking her with us," Kuronue offered. While he would prefer to have Kerima all to himself, he wanted her to be happy. If that meant bringing her grandmother along, he would gladly do that. "We could all three escape, leave this village far behind."

She hung her head, shaking it slowly. "I have duties to attend to, and I just cannot leave knowing that people might become sick and die if I left," she told him, regret thick in her voice.

"Kerima..." Kuronue began.

"No more." She cut him off by placing a finger over his lips. "For now we'll collect herbs, and I'll think on what you've said." She picked up a basket and moved to the door. "Let's go."

Kuronue followed her, his mind whirling as he thought up plans on how to convince her to leave. Still, he was sure that even if he couldn't come up with anything, eventually her family would push her too far. They would push her right out of the village, and she would never look back.


	10. Chapter 10

CotA: As a quick note before I begin the next chapter, I am looking for someone who is willing to help me with my writing by serving as an idea sounding-board. I do best if I can bounce ideas off someone and talk through the plot with them. If anyone is interested in helping me, either send me a message through fanfiction, or email me at childoftheancients (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Chapter 10

The next few weeks were the best of Kerima's life. She spent her days gathering herbs around the village, creating different poultices and healing drafts, and drying the different herbs that could be stored in her hut for the months to come. It didn't matter what she did or where she went, Kuronue was there with her, helping her out and making her laugh. She found it so relaxing to be around him. She learned that she did not have to watch what she said or hide her emotions from him. They spent their nights together in her hut, making love or simply holding each other. All in all, she had to admit that it was a near perfect existence.

At least until she woke up early one morning sick to her stomach. She quietly but quickly crawled out of bed and ran outside, heedless of her state of dress. Within moments she had heaved up what was left of her dinner last night. When the heaving stopping, her stomach slowly began to feel better. Wiping off her mouth with the back of her hand, she covered the evidence of her sick spell with leaves and then went back inside.

Kuronue was still asleep, which she was thankful for. While she adored him and his company, there were still some things that she did not want him to see. One of them was her on her knees sick as a dog.

Briefly she wondered what it was she could have eaten to make her so sick. Perhaps she had not cooked the food long enough, or maybe the new spice she had used didn't agree with her stomach. Either way, she decided not to worry about it.

She drank some water from a nearby pitcher and then crawled back into bed, determined to make sure she didn't use the same spice again.

The rest of the day she felt fine, and everything went as it was supposed to. She was even able to forget her ill moment with Kuronue being so charming and helpful. He brought her flowers from a nearby field while she was gathering some healing herbs, and he kept sneaking kisses every moment he could. Her family continued to leave her alone, and for that she was grateful. Kuronue and Kerima even found a moment to visit her grandmother and enjoy a cup of tea with her.

At least she was able to forget about it until the next morning, when the same thing happened.

While Kerima waited for the sick feeling to pass, she realized what was truly wrong with her. Placing a hand over her stomach, she went back into the hut, smiling down at the sleeping bat demon. She wondered what he would say when he found out he was going to be a father. She was certain that he would be thrilled; after all, children were normally very precious to most youkai.

So Kerima curled back up into bed with Kuronue, pondering the best way to tell him, or if she wanted him to realize it on his own. Within a month or two her belly would start to expand, making her condition noticeable. She wasn't sure if she could wait that long; she wanted to see the surprise and awe on his face when he found out they were expecting a child.

Unfortunately her joy was short-lived. Later that morning, while Kerima was still debating how she was to tell Kuronue, one of her cousins arrived to fetch her to meet with the council. Immediately her mood plummeted. What could they possibly want now? She had bound Kuronue, so he would never leave the village, not as long as she was there. She was also certain that she had done nothing recently to give insult or raise anyone's ire.

Kuronue looked at her, a frown on his handsome face as she sighed. "I must go and see what the council wants," she told him, going to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She leaned her head against his chest as he embraced her in a tight hug. They stood like that for a moment before she pulled away.

"Very well. Let us get this over with," the bat demon said, running a hand through his long black hair. "But I still think we should leave here and never return. It would simplify things."

Kerima merely took his hand and ignored his words. She had heard the same thing over and over throughout the last few weeks. Kuronue wanted her to leave with him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. The village had been her home for her entire life; it had become a part of her.

They made their way to the meeting hall, which had been repaired since Kuronue had torn much of it apart. The doors were shiny and new, and the outside had been recently painted.

Taking a deep, fortifying breath, Kerima opened the doors and entered the meeting hall. She was immediately surprised by what she saw. Not only was the entire council there, but her grandmother was there as well, and Kerima could tell by the look on her grandmother's face that she was not there willingly.

"Kerima, how good of you to join us," her father greeted her before he turned his attention to the bat demon. "Kuronue, you can wait outside while we deal with my daughter."

"No, I don't think I will. I am staying where I am," Kuronue replied, his voice carrying a hint of danger through the air. His muscles tensed, his yoki rising high enough that all in the room could feel it.

One of the council members opened his mouth, but another member elbowed him and put a finger to his lips. They feared the bat demon, and rightfully so.

"Why am I here?" Kerima asked them, her gaze sweeping the room. "I have done what you asked."

Her grandfather harrumphed. "You have done everything you needed to, and now you need to let Kuronue go. We do not bring in young, powerful youkai for the sole purpose of protection. We need them to improve our bloodlines and power levels."

She frowned as she stared at her male family members. "I must admit to some confusion. What is it that you want?"

"Simple. We need more powerful children, and Kuronue is the key to that. So, he will go around to the women of the village and help get them with child," her father answered. "For some reason, none of the women he slept with before you bound him are pregnant, and we need him to remedy that."

Kerima felt anger and shock whip through her, and she shook her head in denial. For the first time in her entire life, she was going to blatantly and thoroughly refuse the council. "No. I have no desire to share him with women simply because you think it's necessary."

Kuronue was in shock, unable to say anything. They wanted him to try and get the women of the village pregnant? What kind of insane plan was that? He really didn't know what to think, but he did know that he was not pleased by the idea, and he was not going to go along with the plan.

"You will do so, because we wish it." Her father stood up, towering over his daughter. He would make her obey; it was for the best of the village.

She balked at the very idea of sharing Kuronue. He was hers; she had bound him to her, and no one else was going to touch him. If they continued to push the issue, she would have to reconsidering doing what Kuronue wanted and leaving the village. Her home was important to her, but she was bound closer to Kuronue. He was more essential to her than anything else.

"No, I will not." Kerima crossed her arms over her chest, her anger warming her blood. Kuronue was the father of her child, and she had no desire for him to go sleep with other women. He was _hers_.

"Don't be a hindrance like your mother was near the end," her father grumbled. "She was perfectly obedient, until her and the demon decided to go against our wishes. She only sired you, and the demon only sired Seila. Complete waste of two perfectly good bloodlines. We had to kill her in the end since they wouldn't follow orders."

Her jaw dropped, her mind whirling with the new information. In a few short moments she felt some of her history being rewritten. She had always believed that the demon her mother had bound had not cared about her mother, that he had willingly gone to other women and ignored her. She had also believed that her mother had died to a random demon attack that the bound demon had not protected her from. Never had she expected her father to have killed her mother.

Kerima moved closer to Kuronue, needing the support and comfort he provided. His body warmth felt good against her cool skin, helping fight back the shock.

"You would threaten us with the same?" Kuronue asked, his yoki beginning to float about the room as his fury rose. The promise of violence was in his voice, his temper but a breath away from breaking free. "And what if I do not wish to go along with this plan of yours? I've had enough of the rest of the women of your village. They don't compare to Kerima."

"We learned our lesson the last time. Killing Kerima's mother was a mistake," the grandfather admitted. "But you will obey us, otherwise..." He drifted off, turning to look at Kerima's grandmother.

The old woman sat there, completely still, as another of the council members held a long knife to her throat. "You will do what we say, or she dies," the man with the knife said, eyes deadly serious.

Kuronue mentally cursed. They had picked the one person in the village that neither him nor Kerima wanted to see harmed. She loved her grandmother, while everyone else she saw as her duty. The danger to the grandmother would make things difficult, to say the least.

"Ignore them, Kerima," grandmother said, tone curt. "I watched them do this to your mother, and it killed her. I will not watch the same happen to you. Run, my dear, run with Kuronue and never look back. They will never allow you to be happy here."

"Shut up!" The man brought the knife closer to her throat, so that the edge kissed the skin. Tiny drops of blood began to drip down her neck.

Kerima's cheeks were wet with tears. "Grandmother..." She turned to her male relatives. "Please, please just let her go. She has nothing to do with this."

"I will do whatever I damn well please," her father replied, eyes cold and unyielding. "She is nothing to me, just as you are. We needed you to snag a powerful demon, and you succeeded there beautifully. The only reason you still live is that your death would cause his."

Tears continued to run down her cheeks as anger mixed with fear and sorrow inside of her, churning her belly until she felt like throwing up. She knew at that moment that she needed to get out of the town and never return. Her grandmother was right; they would never allow her to be happy.

Kuronue felt his heart nearly break when Kerima looked up at him with tear-streaked cheeks, her eyes shiny with yet more tears. He wanted to kill them all, but he kept himself contained. He did not want to hurt her family and cause her yet more pain. For that one look from her, full of pain and sorrow, he would kill the entire village if she but gave the word.

Kerima's eyes hardened as she knew what had to be done. "Take my grandmother from them, and we'll leave and never return." She released his hand and stepped back closer to the door. She would not get in his way or cause any problems, and if her family died to stop him from taking her grandmother, then that was their fate. She would not cry for them.

Kuronue grinned, his yoki lashing out at her family. Anger fueled his power as he went for the man holding the knife to the grandmother's throat. He would cut off the man's hands, and then they would leave. And if any of them tried to stop him, well... they would simply die.

With a quick movement Kuronue ran for the man with the knife, and chaos erupted. Council members threw themselves at him, brandishing claws and knifes as they all tried to attack him at once. He snarled at them, beheading one with his claws while he struck out at another with pure yoki, sending the man flying across the room.

There were many more council members than Kuronue, but the bat demon didn't care. They were know match for him. So as they continued to try to attack him, Kuronue fought them off, injuring and even possibly killing some without any regrets. They would pay for hurting his little healer, they would pay in blood.

Kuronue lost himself in the fight and the bloodshed, but when most of the council members lay at his feet, broken and bleeding, if not dead, Kerima screamed. Instantly he turned to look at her, but there was no one near near her. For a moment he could not figure out what was wrong, and then he saw the horror on her face, and that she was not looking at him. Her eyes were glued to something that lay past him.

He turned around, grabbing the last standing council member by the throat as the idiot attempted to attack him with a bloody knife. It was then that he realized that grandmother's body was slumped over, and her head was gone.

Kuronue turned his attention back to the man in his grasp, his eyes narrowed in anger and hatred. The idiot had killed grandmother, and now he would pay for the look he had put on Kerima's face. The stupid council member would pay quite dearly for harming someone precious to the little healer.

The bat demon squeezed until he heard a crack of the man's neck breaking. Then, with rage still coursing through him, he threw the man across the room, the body crashing through the wall to land outside in the dirt.

A thump followed by sobs cut through his rage as cleanly as a knife. Within a moment he was at Kerima's side, scooping her up into his arms as she cried for her lost grandmother. There were a few small wounds on Kerima's body that matched his, and he winced. He had not meant to hurt his by his fighting, but it was too late. He would simply have to make it up to her.

Kuronue carried her out of the meeting hall, and the villagers stared at him as he passed. No one spoke, and no one moved to stop him. He walked right out of the village and kept walking. He was not going to spend another moment in that horrible village, and neither was Kerima. He was going to take her some place safe where she could finally be left alone to live in peace.


End file.
